Like Fire
by Dighm Liting
Summary: Is it bad of me to want him to experience something terrible just so he'll understand how I feel? I find that smiley attitude of his to be very condescending.  Intended Luke/Gill   Gill's POV
1. My Actions Are Justified

Yay! My first fic! I love Luke/Gil and after reading all kinds of stories about their mothers I thought I'd try _my_ take on what could've happened. I'm not one for angst, but enough drama to drive the story is great. So I'm trying to write this in a way that's natural and humorous, like the feel I get from this game.^^

Harvest Moon belongs to Natsume Inc. and Marvelous Entertainment. Not me. Please enjoy my harmless fan written fiction. 333

Incase you can't figure it out, the story's in Gils POV. The whole story, so don't get confused.8D

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**Chapter One:** My Actions Are Justified

I thought about the previous day with an obvious scowl. A scowl that I believed to be justified. Why shouldn't I be upset? It was only natural of a child to be this way when losing a parent. I imagined the bright smile that my mother gave me before kissing my forehead and snuggling my cheek as she prepared to set sail with that young man I'd only ever seen once before. I pouted as she walked up to my father, waiting for him to say something in protest. But his smile was as wide and ignorant as hers. Ignorant to the feelings that _really_ mattered right now. _My _feeling.

"Don't look so glum, Gilly-pie! I'll send you a gift from every place I visit!" She called from the deck of Pascal's ship. She laughed loudly in the arms of the stranger, holding her long blond hair back from blowing into her face. Why is it that my parents are like that…?

I could only deepen my scowl as I sat at the bench, just before the Maple Lake District. An area shaded by the hovering cliff side that harbored the Church that I _didn't_ want to look at right now.

"HA! Found you!" Came a loud and obnoxious voice that I almost wished I didn't recognize. "I knew I'd find you sitting in the shade!"

"Something wrong with that?" I answered, annoyed at the correct assumption and the sudden presence on my bench that only furthered my recent irritation.

"Sure there is!" He said smiling, obviously ignorant of his tactlessness. "The sun's good for ya'! Makes ya' sweat! Helps ya' stay fit!"

"Why would I _want_ to sweat? That's just gross." I scoffed. As usual, he seemed confused.

"Why _wouldn't_ you wanna sweat?"

"Because I'm not an **animal**, like you!" I retaliated in disbelief. Luke, of course, only laughed.

"Sweating is good for you! It gets out all the bad stuff!" He teasingly nudged my shoulder. "No wonder you're always such a grouch!"

"Whatever…" I scoffed, looking away. "My actions are well justified." He cocked his head to the side.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I have a reason for everything that I do!"

"Oh. Weeell, then what's your reason for sitting alone on a bench?"

"Is it so wrong to want to be by myself after something like that?" Once again confusion clouded eyes. "Of course you don't know what I'm talking about…" I said clicking my tongue.

"I would if you told me." He said stupidly.

"I shouldn't have to tell you! You were there just like everyone else!" I folded my arms and looked away, just incase. "You saw her go."

"Oh!" He exclaimed loudly, now assured of the situation. "Your mom left yesterday, huh?" He said with no sign of sympathy in his voice at all. I turned back to him in frustration at the lack of comfort that I deserved.

"Have you no compassion?" He seemed surprisingly shocked. Good! If an outburst is what it takes, then I'm glad I could wipe that annoying grin from that bandage covered face of his! "I'm obviously upset right now! Aren't you smart enough to even see that much?" I used the silence the catch my breath, my shoulders slowing movement being the only noticeable one in the area. I stared, confident in my anger, into his now mysterious amber eyes. "Well?"

"Does she love you?" I was so thrown off by his blunt question that I dropped my tensed shoulders completely.

"What?"

"Your mom seemed like she loved you lots when she left. I think I'm not that smart, you know? So I'm asking you. Does she love you?" I stumbled through the emotions he gave me. Confused, at what the answer might be. Angry, that he would challenge my resolve! Sad, when I think of her leaving again. Maybe this last one was a bit off, but I was also impressed at the maturity in his question… and in his eyes.

"Of course she does…" I said averting my gaze. Of course I was a bit embarrassed. Love is a personal subject after all, no matter what kind. I pondered then, why it didn't seem so wrong to speak of it with Luke. I must've rolled my eyes at my assumption that he was just such a cheesy guy _nothing_ could be embarrassing around him. Then all at once my attention was back on him as he spoke again.

"Then you have no reason to be upset!" He said with a smile. "If your parents both love you then how can you be mad at them?" The rhetorical question rung annoyingly through my ears like the buzzing of a wrong game-show quiz answer. The stinging sensation you get from being told loudly and proudly that whatever reason you have for saying what you said is incorrect. But that's impossible… because my actions were well justified.

"How dare you!" I said standing in my rage. "You have no right to push your opinions on me! I have every right to feel this way! How could you even understand?" I didn't give him a long enough time to answer. "You can't! So just shut up and leave me alone!" I felt bad for yelling at him. Maybe because he was right, or maybe just because _I_ didn't want to be wrong, but it didn't matter. I had already run away. And he had already forgiven me.


	2. That Might've Been the Moment

Another chapter! So soon? You know it! 'Cos I don't know If I plan on continuing this. It seems like it's okay where it is, but maybe if lotsa people like it, I'll continue to where they get together or something.x3

Harvest Moon belongs to Natsume Inc. and Marvelous Entertainment. Not me. Please enjoy my harmless fan written fiction. 333

Still in Gils POV. No confusion.8D

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**Chapter Two:** That Might've been the Moment

I was shocked when I heard the news. That carpenter woman always seemed so lively to me, just like her idiot son. And just like them, the day seemed so bright and happy. It confused me, honestly. I hadn't really been to any funerals before, but I had always imagined them to be on dreary days when the sun refused to shine. Then after all the grieving, when everyone was leaving, it would rain… or something dramatic and epic like that. Well, that's how TV made it seem, anyway.

I looked around at the villagers' tears and frowns and found that despite the sun and many colored flowers, the atmosphere was surprisingly gray. I couldn't help but examine them. They all seemed so different. Mr. Ramsey's face was softer than I'd ever seen it and that Mira woman and her husband silently wept beside him and his red haired grandson, who stood surprisingly strong for a kid not much older than I. Shockingly enough, Barbara was being comforted by _her_ husband, too. Not that it's strange, but I half expected it to be the other way around. That Simon's mind seemed to be so much weaker than his outrageous wife, but I suppose she's a woman, too. The Inn keeper family, of course, wept too, along with that blond lady and her daughter… oh, yeah, and her creepy husband, too.

I found as I neared the end of my list, the one who should be most impacted by this came to mind. I guess I stopped and anticipated it a bit longer. I know it sounds mean, but I was almost excited to see Luke's expression after practically telling me to get over myself a year ago. Now he'll understand exactly how I felt when _my_ mother left _me_.

I eagerly searched for but seconds until I saw them at the front. It was weird to see Dale hunched over like that on the woman's grave. I didn't want to think a man like that could be crying about anything. But what really turned my stomach was the expression on Luke's face as he patted his fathers shoulder comfortingly. The ignorant grin that spread across his face, brighter than I'd ever seen it before.

"C'mon, pops, don't be down! You know how mama doesn't like that!" There seemed to be an understanding in Dale's eyes that only confused me as he held on to that blue-haired idiot. _His_ eyes said "thank you", but mine were prepared to chew him out just as soon as I got the chance.

I watched everyone solemnly begin to go back to normal. I listened to them and their sympathy for Luke and his father. I seethed when I thought about that expression I saw, wondering if I was the only one and once again found myself on my lonely shaded bench.

"HA! Found you!" Called the bane of my existence. "I knew I'd find you sitting in the shade! So why are you upset this time, grouchy-pants?" I couldn't look at him. I could only imagine that annoying grin slapped across his face like I wanted my hand to be.

"Go away, Luke. You are literally the _last_ person I want to see right now." Of course, though, despite my statement, he sat down next to me.

"Hey, did I do something to make you mad?" I clenched my fists at his obviously stupid question.

"You wouldn't understand."

"How do you know that?"

"You just wouldn't! Because you never understand anything! You're just stupid, Luke! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I could see him flinch at my obviously raised voice, but it only made me feel triumphant. Like maybe me yelling was getting through.

"Hey, now." He said with an apologetic smile. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry, but you don't have to be so mean!" I could only glare at him. "Are you gonna tell me, now?"

"Don't think I didn't see you." I stood placing my hands sternly on my hips. "How could you smile so brightly at funeral?" Suddenly Luke didn't have a smile anymore, but it didn't stop me. I was so happy that I'd finally gotten rid of that stupid grin, that I felt a bit empowered. "At first I thought you were just stupid! Of course you wouldn't understand my feelings! But then, just when I thought you understand! When you finally had to go through losing her, too!" I couldn't find then words like I wanted to. I could only growl in frustration. "You just don't care about anything at all, do you?"

"She loves me." He spoke quietly looking down.

"What?" Was all I could say.

"She loves me… even though… you know. So I thought… she wouldn't want me to be upset." I stared at him while he put his hand up to wipe his nose. He wasn't crying, nor frowning. And before I could comment he grinned back up at me. "Plus everyone else is so sad, you know? What good would I be to my pops if I was all down in the dumps, right?" I slowly nodded in disbelief.

I had harbored so many emotions since my mother left up until this past week. So much hatred and anger. I believed myself to be so mature in understanding my actions and justifying them all. However, I think now that the justification was just an excuse to let myself be a brat without feeling guilty. I built up these walls around myself, thinking that putting all my faith in someone was something that could only end in heartbreak, but when I looked at that smile my idea of strength changed completely. And all my anger and hatred turned to remorse and admiration. It burned like fire through any wall I had bitterly held onto and made me realize that I had been selfish.

"Luke… I'm sorry." I looked down in shame. As usual, he didn't understand.

"Aww, that's okay, buddy! I know you get emotional and stuff." I forgave him this time out of guilt, but next time he won't get away with a comment like that.

"Look, if…" I scratched my head while I searched for less embarrassing words. "If you need to talk to someone. You know! I'll… listen… and stuff." I couldn't help the tomato color spreading across my face. For once something about the fruit I didn't appreciate.

"Actually…" I quickly set my gaze on him, surprised at thought that he would actually take my offer. "Could you sit back down next to me?"

"S-sure." I said somewhat dumbstruck, and completed that task, gracefully as always. What I didn't expect was the bridge of his nose resting comfortably on my shoulder.

"Thanks…" Was all he said. And even though I couldn't see his face, I knew this time he wasn't smiling. I sighed.

"How do you do it, Luke?" I asked leaning my head back on the bench, exhausted.

"It's so hard…" Came unexpectedly, followed by a deep inhale, dragging my head back up and into attention. "I don't even…" Was all he could say before choking out a sob and nestling his face in my neck. It was oddly comfortable and even though he was bigger than me, I felt right now like I was the bigger one. I reached my arms up to his back and rested them there.

It's funny how this moment played out. I remember a year ago when we sat in this very spot and fought because I couldn't accept that Luke might've been right. I think when he told me I shouldn't be sad was that first display f that amazing strength of his. Even though I was thinking only seconds ago about how this is the first time I've seen something like this. And even though we weren't very close then, I think that might've been the moment Luke first put this warm feeling in my chest. Just like fire.


End file.
